Purpose: While practicing relaxation activities may be positively related to better diet quality, its association with eating behaviours is unclear. This study aims to explore whether eating behaviour traits and self-determined regulation of eating behaviours mediate the association between the practice of relaxation activities and diet quality, in a sample of French-speaking adults (Québec, Canada).

Methods: A total of 418 women and 482 men, aged between 18 and 65 years and recruited as part of the PREDISE study, were considered in the analyses. Participants had to report whether they practice one or more relaxation activities (e.g., yoga or meditation). Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) was calculated from three web-based 24h dietary recalls. Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-2), where Body-Food Choice Congruence subscale (BFCC) refers to the tendency to choose nutritious foods while respecting well-being and preferences, and Regulation of Eating Behaviour Scale, where a high self-determined motivation (SDM) score indicates an autonomous eating behaviour regulation style, were completed online. Mann-Whitney tests were conducted to compare C-HEI scores of individuals who currently engage in relaxation activities (practitioners) to those who do not (non-practitioners). Multiple regression analyses were performed to test the mediational model and bootstrapping was used to measure indirect effects (PROCESS macro version 3.3). Analyses are adjusted for sociodemographic covariables.

Results: Overall, 88 women and 43 men were practitioners, and they had a higher C-HEI score than non-practitioners (62.9±13.0 vs. 55.6±14.3; p=0.0011). Parallel mediation model showed significant indirect effects of practitioner status on C-HEI score through BFCC (β = 1.61, SE = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.86, 2.45) and SDM (β = 1.25, SE = .34, 95% CI:0.61, 1.95). The direct effect was not significant (β = 1.31, SE = 1.32, 95% CI: 3.87, -1.25).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that while the current practice of relaxation activities can be associated with a better diet quality, this association is mainly explained by practitioners’ higher intuitive eating skills and more self-determined regulation of eating behaviours. Further studies should investigate potential impacts of relaxation activities on the development and maintenance of positive eating habits. (Funded by CIHR)

Purpose: Improved diet quality could substantially reduce medical costs and risk of mortality due to chronic disease. Weight neutral or non-diet interventions that promote adaptive eating behaviors are becoming a growing area of practice, and thus understanding whether adaptive eating behaviors are associated with improved diet quality is essential. In addition, due to the close relation between body image and eating behaviors, body image may be an important factor in this relationship. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the relationships between positive and negative body image, adaptive and maladaptive eating behaviors, and diet quality.

Methods: We recruited 288 adults 18 years and older who were living in the US using Prolific Academic. Participants completed an online survey including measures of positive and negative body image, adaptive and maladaptive eating behaviors, and a diet screener questionnaire. We ran a series of hierarchical linear regressions to assess relationships between body image and eating behavior with an overall diet quality, calcium, whole grains, added sugar, fruit, and vegetables. Next, we tested whether body image and diet quality were mediated by eating behavior.  

Results: Body image and maladaptive eating behaviors were not associated with diet intake. Body-food choice congruence, an adaptive eating behavior, was associated with overall diet quality, a higher intake of whole grains and vegetables, and a lower intake of added sugar. Additional analyses indicated body-food choice congruence mediates the relationship between positive and negative body image and diet quality. 

Conclusions: Our findings provide additional support for weight-neutral or non-diet interventions as adaptive eating behaviors were associated with higher diet quality. As positive body image may influence diet quality through adaptive eating behaviors, additional research may benefit from exploring indirect effects of body image on diet intake. Lastly, our findings suggest adaptive and maladaptive eating behaviors may be conceptually distinct and have qualitatively different relationships with intake. Future research may benefit from the qualitative exploration of eating behavior and diet quality and the comparison of weight-neutral or non-diet interventions with traditional behavior change interventions.

In the U.S., rates of pediatric overweight and obesity have increased despite positive relationships between weight and future chronic disease. Youth obesity prevention interventions that address caregiver health behavior are a promising yet poorly understood approach to enhancing outcomes via influence on children and the home environment. Dietitian-led motivational interviewing (MI) designed to address caregiver behavior, coupled with youth obesity prevention interventions targeting vulnerable families, may prove most effective at modifying behaviors. The purpose of this study was to describe preliminary effects of RD-led remote MI (RDMI), delivered to caregivers of youth enrolled in a multicomponent obesity prevention program. Low-resource dyads (caregivers and 8-9 year old youth) were enrolled in a 10-week RCT. The intervention included weekly telephonic caregiver RDMI focused on caregiver dietary patterns. Data on RDMI use were collected, including categorization of RDMI Completers versus Non-Completers (compliance), time of RDMI received (minutes, RDMI Time Received), engagement in RDMI (percentage of attempted RDMI sessions completed, RDMI Engagement), and dose (total RDMI sessions, RDMI Dose Received). Caregiver body mass index (BMI), caregiver diet quality (Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores), youth skin carotenoids (resonance Raman spectroscopy), and caregiver ambivalence toward improving diet quality (Change Questionnaire; higher Change scores indicate lower ambivalence) were collected at baseline and post-intervention. Predictive ability of baseline variables on compliance was evaluated using logistic regression, relationships between RDMI use and ambivalence were evaluated using Spearman correlations, and predictive ability of RDMI use versus program participation on outcomes was determined using multiple linear regressions. Of 36 caregivers, 78% participated in ≥1 RDMI session, 44% were RDMI Completers, and PAC BMI was the top predictor of RDMI completion (OR=1.080). For every one-session increase in RDMI Dose Received, a 0.98 point increase in caregiver HEI score and 0.59% increase in child skin carotenoids were noted. Lastly, a strong statistically significant relationship existed between percent change in Change score at post-intervention and RDMI Dose Received (ρ=0.533, P=0.007), while baseline Change scores were negatively correlated with RDMI Time Received (ρ=-0.287, P=0.173) and RDMI Engagement (ρ=-0.260, P=0.221). This study provides preliminary support for the use of RDMI in low-resource caregivers for obesity prevention.

Purpose: To verify the feasibility and the effects of physically active lessons (PAL) on movement behaviour and executive function of elementary schoolchildren.

Methods: A controlled clinical trial with cluster sampling was carried out with 61 elementary children from a school in Aracaju/SE, Brazil. Two classes in the intervention group (n = 34) received dynamic activities linked to the pedagogical content conducted by the teachers, during two school years. Control group classes (n = 27) continued with regular traditional classes. Movement behaviours were evaluated through ActivPal and ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers during the school shift. Executive function was assessed using three computerized tests: a) Go / No Go (reaction time/inhibition); b) Visual search (spatial reasoning); and c) Mental rotation (spatial reasoning). The evaluations took place in five moments, two in 2018 (April and August) and three in 2019 (January, July, and December). Models of Generalized Estimation Equations with Bonferroni's post hoc were used for data analysis (p<0.05). The intervention teachers in 2018 (n = 2) and 2019 (n = 2) reported aspects related to the intervention's feasibility through interviews. Content analysis was used for qualitative data.

Results: Intervention group reduced stationary behavior (group vs time interaction: p = 0.01) and increased light physical activity (group vs time interaction: p = 0.044) at school over the two years of follow-up. Regarding executive function, higher increases in Go / No Go (number of correct answers and time of execution from pre vs. post: p≤0.001), and the time of execution of the Visual search test (from pre vs. post: p=0.040) were observed in intervention group compared to the control group. While the teachers assessed intervention as feasible, higher number of barriers were reported by the teachers of the second year of intervention, especially concerning to their training to conduct the intervention and the student’s behaviors.

Conclusions: PAL are effective in reducing stationary time and increasing time in light physical activity as well as can promote modest improvements in executive functions in children. However, strategies concerning teacher training are necessary, mainly, to maintain long-term results.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the psychosocial determinants of (1) intention to use dietary supplements (DS) and (2) the behavior of engaging in supplementation by testing the fit of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) among university students. 

Methods: A total of 778 students at a Canadian university in Ontario completed a cross-sectional survey assessing participants’ attitude, injunctive norm, descriptive norm, perceived behavioral control and intention toward DS use. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-tests and linear and logistic regressions. 

Results/findings: 49.1% of the 778 students (age 17-31) reported using at least one DS in the past 6 months. Findings indicated significant differences in mean scores for constructs of the TPB between DS users and non-users (p<0.001). Attitude, injunctive norm and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of intention to use DS. Attitude, injunctive norm and intention were significant predictors of engaging in supplementation. The model explained 75.5% of the variance and correctly classified 89.6% of cases, supporting the usefulness of the framework for exploring determinants of intention to use DS. The odds of using DS doubled with every one-unit increase in intention, making it the strongest predictor of DS use (B = 2.04, p<0.001). 

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to use the TPB to explore supplement use and fills a large gap in the current literature. By confirming the utility of the TPB in predicting supplement habits, this study reveals important information about core beliefs underlying the use of supplements among Canadian university students. Discovering the critical role of social influence relating to supplement use supports the need for the development of educational programming that focuses on trust and community building when promoting safe supplementation practices. 

Purpose: The key role that physical self-concept plays in influencing physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) participation has been uniformly reported in the literature. However, most studies have focused primarily on the role of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) whilst disregarding the potential beneficial role of lower intensities of physical activity (LPA) i.e., ~90% of waking time is distributed between LPA and sedentary behavior. Furthermore, the mediating role of physical self-concept in the relationship between PF and PA was very seldom a subject matter of investigation. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of physical self-concept in mediating the cross-sectional relationship between PF with PA (MVPA and LPA) in Dutch adolescents (12-15 years, n=138). The results of the indirect relationship between PF and LPA will be presented at the symposium.

Methods: PA was assessed using accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+; Pensacola, FL) during a regular physical education lesson. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular strength (MS) were assessed using items of the European Physical Fitness test battery. Physical self-concept (i.e., athletic competence and physical appearance) was assessed using the Competence Experience Scale for Adolescents. The indirect relationship between PF and PA was examined using a bias corrected bootstrapping technique, controlling for age and BMI and tested for potential moderation effects of gender.

Results: Regression analysis revealed no direct relationship between PF indices (CRF and MS) with PA. However, we found a significant indirect effect of both PF indices on MVPA, mediated by perceived athletic competence but not by physical appearance. These indirect effects were moderated by gender: in girls, but not in boys mediation was confirmed

Conclusion: Our study suggests that higher PF levels (CRF especially) might lead to a higher physical self-concept which in turn may promote higher engagement in MVPA. The contrast in results between MVPA and LPA will be presented at the symposium. It is recommended to take physical self-concept into account in future PA interventions, especially in girls. Additional research is warranted to determine the causal pathways of the indirect relationship between PF and PA via physical self-concept.